Manuela Aragón Arenas was born in Santa María Xonacatepec, Puebla, Mexico, on 30 June 1906. Her parents were José Dolores Aragón and Benita Arenas. She studied until 5th grade at a school in Puebla with her sisters. Her father was a teacher.

At some point, she married Miguel Escalante and had six children: Leonardo, Miguel, Federico, Gloria, Amelia, and Arturo. They lived for a while in the United States. Her husband worked in a factory in Puebla. She enjoyed planting.

Manuela Aragón Arenas died in Mexico City, Mexico, on 26 June 2018.